The Great Iowan Outdoors

Little Yiah braved the Iowa elements today for the first time. In almost 20° heat, Mommy, Daddy, Yiah and Pee Wee went for their first walk together. His cheeks got a littel rosy but he loved it!

Yiah's Exersaucer

I think he likes it...

Church

Church went very well and we are very glad that we all went as a family. It was great to see the friends we could at church again and just to get out. We got a good greeting when we came back home from Pee Wee (licking Yiah's ear), as he is starting to grow more comfortable with Yedidiya.

Here is Yiah in his cute shopping outfit yesterday. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!!

Playing with Mommie!

Yiah goes shopping

Yiah had his first shopping experience today. And Mommy says he is a keeper! We headed over to the outlets in Williamsburg and the little guy hung in there for almost 6 hours of shopping! It probably helped that he made out like a bandit. Did you know that there isn't one, not two, but three children's stores at Williamsburg? (Plus Osh Kosh B'Gosh?) Neither did we. So like I said, bandit. It was precious to see his reaction to us in the stores. One of us would try on clothes while he was with the other. Even with all the people walking by, even some saying hi to him, his little face would just light up with a smile when he saw mom or dad. It was wonderful to know that bonding is taking place.

As a sidenote, this post says it was uploaded Saturday night at 8:30. That's a lie. There is NO way we are up that late anymore. I am writing this Sunday Morning before church. We think we are going to take him to church, so we will let you know how that goes!

Lucky Number 7

That's how many times he woke up last night! It sure helped with today's naps though!! But how can you get mad with a face like that???

Yiah at Home

We've all been adjusting to being home, and all in all, things are going well. Yiah LOVES to eat and hates to nap. He is sleeping good most of the night, but when he is awake it is almost constant one-on-one attention. After being in the transition home it is clear that he is not used to, and does not like being alone. Most of the time he is a pretty happy baby. Here are some pics from the homestead.

Our Journey Video

Yedidiya is what faith can do. We hope you enjoy the video of our journey to him.

More Gotcha Day Photos!

Gotcha for one whole week!

It's hard to believe he's been with us for a week. There are so many precious memories yet so much of it seems like a blur. So a week later I thought we would remember the day we brought Yiah out of the transition home and in to our care.

Things on the homefront are going fairly well. Our biggest struggle is that he hates naps and going down to sleep, and being alone. He did sleep 11 hours last night but had a 2 hour bout with dad from 2-4 in the morning. During his playtime he doesn't like it when mom and dad go far either, so it has been a challenge to get stuff done around the house. We have all ready been tremendously blessed by friends providing us meals and hear that we have more on the way.

Meetcha Day Pictures (Finally!)

One week ago, we met our beautiful son for the first time. I don't think these need any words... (other than, "How do I choose which to post?")

First Doctor's Appointment

We just got back from Yedidiya's first doctor's appointment and he was given a clean bill of health! We still have to do some lab work, but Dr. Anderson said he seems very healthy. He did get 4 shots though. Poor little guy took it hard but recovered quick!

We're Home!!

We have made it!! We had wonderful receptions at the airport and in Wisconsin. Yiah got to meet Grandpas, Gramdmas, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. It was amazing!!

We are back in Iowa now, trying to get settled here at home for the next week. Since I had such difficulty posting while in Ethiopia, I am going to work my hardest to get some pictures up throughout the week, and maybe even some videos.

Embassy Appointment

We had our embassy appointment yesterday, and got approved
for Yiah's visa! That means we will be coming home as
planned!! Praise the Lord!

Yesterday morning was spent entirely at the Embassy. It was
a tough morning for Yiah, and I think led to a tough day.
We have seen signs that he is recognizing us, so that is
good, and we haven't had any crying like the day we met him.
Maybe two or three times he has that cry that you can just
tell is from the lack of familiarity and missing the bonds
he has made, but overall things are going well.

After we left the embassy, we went to the National Museum
(home of Lucy) to eat at the Lucy Cafe. The reason I tell
you this is because it is the sight of Aaron's christening.
Yiah ate before we did, and the most he had ever eaten in
one sitting for us, a whole 5 ounces. After our meal, he
was a little restless, so I walked him around. Needless to
say after about 15 minutes of walking, all 5 ( I think it
was even more) ounces came right back out onto the front of
my shirt. I felt better when I looked to Laura for support
to see her pointing and laughing with the rest of the group.
Rumor has it there are pictures of the ordeal.

Yiah's day continued to be busy as he did not sleep at all
yesterday. We maybe snuck in a half-hour nap, but that was
it. We put him down last night at 7:30 and he slept the
whole night!!! He woke up once at 5:30 - 6 and took about 4
ounces, then when back down for another hour and a half. So
Laura and I got some good sleep too. It was awesome.

Today has been better for him. He has all ready taken two
naps and we are working on a third as I type. Today
entailed a trip to an orphanage that works with America
World which was a little depressing. It was awesome to see
the kids faces light up as we passed out small toys,
balloons, snacks, and balls. We were then able to play with
the kids for an hour. We were also able to drop off
diapers, bottles, formula, and other everyday items the
orphanage would need. What made it hard was seeing how many
kids there were and the conditions they spent there entire
life in. They are very well taken care of, but things are
so cramped and resources limited. It makes me start to
wonder how soon will we be doing this again.

So as our time here winds down, most of the "formalities"
have been taken care of. We are looking to go to a Coffee
Plantation, up the mountain, and to finish up a little
shopping. Keep praying things go well, that Yiah's
congestion clears up (it seems a little better) and he
continues to bond with us, and that the plane ride goes
well.

We can't wait to see you all!

Gotcha Day!!

HE IS OURS!!! We got to bring Yedidiya home today!

Today went better than yesterday. We had a few small bouts
with crying, but worked through them and things have been
very good tonight. At the transition home, it was difficult
having Yiah say goodbye to his nannies. It was clear he had
a very, very strong bond with one nanny in particular. Once
we left the transition home, the Yiah we have seen in
pictures came out. Curious about everything, constantly
looking around and trying to take everything in.

Even better, once his nannies weren't around it feels like
he is beginning to recognize us. While we think there will
still be attachment obstacles, tonight was a good start. He
did sleep most of the night and Laura is putting him to bed
now. We got to feed him twice, give him a bath and some
blanket time, and, of course, hold him near while he slept.

It has been wonderful, and exhausting. Tomorrow is our
embassy appointment which is the last hurdle. We will be
there all morning as in 8 am to lunch. Then pretty much the
rest of the week is ours to have with him and to do what we
want.

We did go shopping this morning and I must admit, my
haggling skills are better than I thought. We tried to get
a gift for Yiah for everyone of his first 18 birthdays, but
fell a little short. We also ate at the Hilton today which
served us good ol' fried american food. A group of us plan
on going swimming there on Saturday with our little ones.
Its pool is a naturally hot spring fed pool.

Thanks again so much for your prayers, keep 'em coming! We
really appreciate them and can't wait to introduce you all
to our little miracle. I also want to apologize for the
lack of pictures. It is not due to a lack of effort.
Lately the internet here has been very bad and it has even
been difficult to post. I will keep trying!

Meetcha Day!

He is beautiful, and he is perfect.

He also cried for the first 45 minutes, but we were then able to settle him down. He has a cough and is very congested. Laura thinks it is an upper respiratory tract infection, which is very common among the children at the transition home. It was his cough that bothered him, as his lip would curl just before he would cough, then he would begin crying. We were able to feed him and change his diaper as well as play with some toys and a book we brought. The congestion also affected his eating making it hard for him to take his bottle. We would humbly ask that you would pray for his health.

At seven months he has some stranger anxiety. It is very obvious that he is attached to his nanny, as when she was around he would smile and bounce. That is a very good sign as that means he is able to form attachments and will be able to form a new bond with us. That does make it hard right now and so we also ask that you would pray for the bonding to occur quickly.

Day 1 and Done!

We are done, as in exhausted. Any of you who know Laura, know that when we got here we were into action.

Today we hired a driver and saw a few of the sights here in Addis. Our first stop was at the Ethiopian Museum and Library of the Institute of Ethiopian studies. It really was an old palace on the grounds of the Universtiy that was made into a museum. We couldn't take pictures inside, but got this one of a popular monument.

The monument was built in honor of Ethiopia's victory over Italy in the 1940's. The stairs represent each year of Italy's fascist rule under Musolini and the Lion of Judah (symbol of Ethiopia's Monarchy) sits victoriously atop the final step.

We were also able to visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which is considered the second-most important place of worship in Ethiopia.

It is also the final resting place for Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife. They were celebrating a holiday today as you can see the decorations. Many were outside praying at the doors, some even kissing them. Inside, was even more spectacular with it stained glass windows and ornate design.

After that we finally turned in picking up some bottled water at a local grocery and eating here at the guesthouse. We also have finally met almost everyone in our travel group. It is a wonderful group, very friendly and fun. We look forward to spending more time with them.

One last picture to give you an idea of life in Addis, this is one view of the area we are staying taken from our balcony.

And after I post this message, the lights will go off for a hopefully restful night of sleep. As you know, tomorrow brings such joy, the day we have for so long waited and dreamed of.

We Have (after 39 hours) Arrived!

Oh what a night! ...and day... and night... and day. The good news is that we have arrived in Addis and are at the guesthouse. We grabbed a shower and are getting ready to head out the door to the Ethiopian Ethnological Museum. No rest for the weary...
So, how did we finally get here you ask!?! When we last left you, we were in Amsterdam with a brand new itinerary and no way to contact our agency to pick us up at our new arrival time. After an hour of playing, lets find the luggage, we finally boarded a flight heading to Cairo, Egypt. Much to my disappointment, the sun set soon after takeoff and we were unable to see the Pyramids or the Sphinx. But to say Egypt was uneventful would be lying. We sat in Cairo for 6 hours, unable to communicate with anyone (literally their English was not good), with no boarding passes to get us into our terminal and no passports to get boarding passes. See, Egyptian Air took our passports upon arrival and had them until about one half hour before our flight here. So at 2:25 this morning, we flew out of Cairo planning on NEVER returning.
Finally arriving in Addis was wonderful. It is a beautiful area, very unique but a little reminiscent of South Africa. After making it through visas, customs, and having our baggage arrive, we made it out into the airport to find that our e-mail went unnoticed and we didn't have a ride. I scrambled to find a phone, but they only took coins and all the businesses in the airport don't have coins. Finally, I paid a stewardess at a restaraunt to use her cell phone and we were able to arrange a ride. And, TA-DA, we are here.
The guesthouse itself is very nice and will serve us greatly for the week. And the best news is that we have internet right in our room!! So you know what that means Grandma and Grandpa: PICTURES!!! We will try to update everyday since it should be so easy to do. Right now it is just hard to believe that tomorrow, yes tomorrow, little Yedidiya will be in our arms. HOW BLESSED WE ARE!!!

Greetings from Amsterdam!

Well, we are in Amsterdam, but had a little bit more time
than expected so we thought we would send an update! Our
agent at O'Hare who checked us in, only checked us in for
our flight to Amsterdam, and not our second flight from
Amsterdam to Addis. So, even though we had a boarding pass,
we did not make it on our flight.
We have arranged alternate plans, so Egypt, here we come!!
We will leave here at 3 local time and fly to Cairo, sit
there for a few hours then off to Addis. Instead of getting
to Addis late Saturday night we will arrive early Sunday
morning.
We are keeping our spirits high and trusting the Lord will
provide. We figure it must have happened for a reason, even
if it was just to give us chance to update all of you

Our Journey Continues

As we enter into the next, and most anticipated, step of our journey it only seems fitting to go back to the beginning, to what brought us to where we are today.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

-Jeremiah 29:11

We cannot wait to see His plans in our lives and His plans for Yedidiya's life.

We leave tonight to head to Wisconsin.  From there, off to O'Hare tomorrow morning.  It is our hope to be able to continue to post while we are traveling and are in Ethiopia.  We are going to do our best to keep everyone informed, but it will be very dependent on the internet availability over there which we hear is not always good.  We truly appreciate all your support and continued prayers.  We can't wait to introduce you all to the little miracle coming home with us.

Our next post will be from somewhere along the way!  So here we go...!

Our Itinerary

Friday Jan 15 - Leave O'Hare at 4:35 pm flying to Addis via Amsterdam.

Saturday Jan 16 - Arrive in Addis about 10:10 pm and go to the guest house to sleep.

Sunday Jan 17 - Touring in and around Addis. We are pretty excited about this as there are many things to do. We are really hoping we get to go up the mountain overlooking Addis and visit the Fistula hospital that was featured in "A Walk To Beautiful". We will also be meeting the other families in our travel group this day as that is when everyone is scheduled to arrive.

Monday Jan 18 - MEETCHA DAY!!! We have our "paperwork party" in the morning, go out for lunch, and then we meet Yedidiya. From what I understand we get to spend the entire afternoon with him!

Tuesday Jan 19 - GOTCHA DAY!!! On tuesday morning, we get to go shopping. Then we have the honor of delivering care packages and taking photos for families who are are waiting at home. And, FINALLY, on Tuesday Yedidiya will be ours!!!! We get to take him with us for good!!

Wednesday Jan 20 - Embassy appointment day. This could be the "bump" in the road day, so please pray that everything goes well today. There will be more shopping in the afternoon.

Thursday Jan 21 - On this day we will be visiting the orphanages, playing with the kids and dropping off some donations.

Friday Jan 22 - Hopefully we will recieve all of our paperwork from the Embassy so we can come home on time. This is pretty much an open day to spend time with Yiah.

Saturday Jan 23 - Fly out of Addis with our little guy at 11:50 pm on our way to Amsterdam then Chicago. We are scheduled to arrive at O'Hare at 1:25 pm on Sunday the 24th.

Our plan from there is to head back to Wisconsin, for a short time, to see family and maybe get some sleep. If we feel up to it, we will leave that night to take Yiah to his home. FINALLY!!!

One Week!!!!!

One week from today we meet Yedidiya!!!! We can't wait!!!!

We are packed...

...almost. I have never felt so overwhelmed by what seems such a nominal task! Lucky for me, Laura had things together and kept us both on track. It took us almost 8 hours, but we hung in there. Let me just say it is amazing what you can do for space with a straw and a one gallon zip-lock bag! Now the only thing we have left to dread are the luggage scales!

Wheels up in 1 week!

As stressed as this makes me, we leave O'Hare in ONE WEEK!!!! This also means that we are down to 10 days until Yiah will be placed in our arms!
Right now we are looking forward to a weekend of packing and shopping, but mainly packing! I hope we don't forget anything. WE ARE SOOO EXCITED!!

2 Weeks!!!

Two weeks from today, we will be holding Yedidiya in our arms!